Chapter 160

[ 1,379 words ]

Arabella:

Amy slammed both hands against the table hard enough to make the glasses jump.

“How dare you?” she demanded, pushing herself to her feet. “How dare you stand there and speak my dead sister’s name in front of my family as if she’s part of some fucking game?” Her voice shook with anger as she pointed at me.

“Have you not done enough since you came back? Do you enjoy digging into things that hurt us? Is that why you’re here, Arabella? To keep reminding us of what we lost?”

“Not another word, Amy.” Lucien’s voice cut across the hall. She turned toward him, still breathing hard, but Lucien didn’t even look at her. “That’s enough.”

Something in his tone ended the argument before Amy could push it any further. She stared at him for another second before dropping back into her chair.

Lucien’s attention shifted to me. “Please speak, Arabella. Whatever is on your mind.”

I caught the surprised look Theodora gave Lucien. She looked genuinely shocked that he was allowing me to continue, but Lucien didn’t acknowledge her. His eyes remained fixed on me.

I looked at the Queen. “As Her Highness seems quite skilled with magic, I think we should use that same magic to find Anika’s murderer.”

“And how exactly do you suggest we do that?” Theodora asked.

I opened my mouth, but Jasmine suddenly pushed back her chair and stood.

“Why are we discussing this here?” She raised her hands as she looked around at all the guests watching us. “If Arabella has something to suggest about Anika’s murder, then we should discuss it privately. We can go inside, or use Lucien’s office. There is no reason for the entire kingdom to listen to something this sensitive.”

“Yes.” Theodora immediately nodded. “Jasmine is right. Anika was my daughter. This is a family matter, and such things should be discussed in privacy.”

I slowly shook my head. “No.”

Theodora’s brows pulled together. “Hmm?”

“You used your magic in front of everyone to bring those dragons here,” I clicked my tongue inside my cheek. “You were perfectly comfortable accusing someone in front of the entire hall when you thought your magic had revealed the culprit. So, if that can be done publicly, I don’t see why finding your daughter’s murderer suddenly requires privacy.”

A few whispers rose around us again, but I kept my eyes on Theodora.

“You wanted everyone here to witness your magic tonight, Your Highness. Let them witness what else it can do.” Then I glanced toward Lucien.

He hadn’t said a word, but I caught the look in his eyes immediately. There was something close to approval there… He seemed impressed, almost proud of the way I had turned the situation around.

Apparently, he seemed to be enjoying the way I had turned his mother’s little magic show against her.

Whatever satisfaction I felt disappeared when one of the guards slipped a pair of handcuffs around Toby’s wrists.

“Toby—”

I started toward him, but the stern look he gave me stopped me before I could say anything else. He had already warned me not to interfere, and judging by his face, he meant it.

The guards began leading him toward the doors while I stood there helplessly, watching my friend being taken away for something I had done.

I wanted to call him back. I wanted to tell everyone the truth and get those cuffs off his wrists, but Toby looked over his shoulder one last time, silently warning me not to do anything stupid. Then he disappeared through the doors.

I was still staring after him when an arm slipped around my shoulders and pulled me against his warm body. I looked sideways and found Lucien beside me. His gaze was also fixed on the doors Toby had just vanished through.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly. “He’ll be back with you within twelve hours, okay? I promise.”

That was enough to give me a little hope. “Really? Thank you,” A little of the tension left my shoulders.

When I looked toward the royal table again, Theodora had gathered Jasmine, Amy, and Aliya around her. Whatever they were discussing had already turned into an argument. Amy was saying something angrily while Jasmine tried to cut in, and Theodora looked ready to lose her patience with all of them.

Lucien followed my gaze toward them. “Mother,” he called out. “So, what have you decided? When are you going to do it?”

Whatever they had been arguing about came to an abrupt stop. Theodora turned toward us, and I could tell she was trying very hard to remain composed. After a moment, she forced a smile and gave a small shrug.

“Of course I’m willing to do it. But something like this requires permission from a council elder first. I can’t simply perform such magic whenever I please.”

Of course. I had known she would come up with some excuse, so I didn’t bother arguing with her. Instead, I kept my expression pleasant.

“Then how about next weekend?” I suggested. “That should give you enough time to get permission.” Her smile faltered slightly.

That was exactly why I wanted to settle this here, in front of everyone. If I had gone to Theodora alone with the same request, she could have ignored me, delayed it, or simply refused.

But now half the kingdom had heard her agree. Backing out wouldn’t be quite so easy.

Jasmine’s pov:

We left the hall not long after the Queen agreed to Arabella’s challenge. I walked a few steps behind Theodora with Amy and Aliya, listening to her cursing angrily under her breath as we made our way through the corridor.

“That girl thinks she’s clever,” she snapped. “She deliberately cornered me in front of everyone. She knew exactly what she was doing.” She gathered the side of her gown in one hand and continued walking.

“I should never have allowed her back into this palace. She has done nothing but create problems since the day she returned, and now she thinks she can humiliate me in front of my own people. I’ll make sure she gets exactly what she deserves.”

“Mother, nobody humiliated you,” Aliya said, trying to calm her. “And no one is forcing you to do anything.”

Amy nodded. “Yes, Mom. But if the magic can actually help us find out who killed Anika, what’s the harm in trying?”

I looked at her sharply. My friend seemed serious.

Until that moment, I had expected Amy and Aliya to take their mother’s side and help her find a way out of this. Instead, they were actually considering Arabella’s suggestion.

My palms began to sweat.

“We already know who killed Anika,” I cut in hurriedly. “Victor was arrested for it. Why are we suddenly reopening everything because Arabella stood in front of a crowd and demanded it?”

Amy glanced at me. “Because if there’s even a chance we were wrong, I want to know.”

“And if we weren’t wrong?” I argued. “What exactly are we hoping to achieve by dragging all of this up again?”

Theodora suddenly stopped. We almost walked into her before she spun around to face us. “Do any of you understand what you’re asking me to do?” she demanded of her daughters.

None of us answered.

“Do you have any idea what I would have to do to perform that magic?” Tears filled her eyes, and when she spoke again, her voice was much quieter. “To perform that magic, I would have to dig my daughter out of her grave.”

Amy’s face changed instantly. Theodora wiped angrily at the tear that escaped down her cheek.

“I would have to disrespect Anika’s body. My baby… she is dead and …” Her lips trembled as she looked between her daughters. “You want me to pull my daughter’s body out of her grave after three years just to find her killer?”

For the first time since we left the hall, neither Amy nor Aliya had anything to say. And her next sentence made us all shocked.

“Calling the dead is easy. Sending them back is where people die. And if Anika refuses to return to the dead, one of us will have to take her place.”

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